Sec Form 4 Filing - Askelsen Erik H. @ AMERICAN EQUITY INVESTMENT LIFE HOLDING CO - 2024-05-02

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Askelsen Erik H. 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol AMERICAN EQUITY INVESTMENT LIFE HOLDING CO [ AEL] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) EVP & General Counsel (Last) (First) (Middle) 6000 WESTOWN PARKWAY 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 05/02/2024 (Street) WEST DES MOINES, IA50266 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) __ X __ Form filed by One Reporting Person _____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 05/02/2024 D 8,102 D 0 D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other Askelsen Erik H. 6000 WESTOWN PARKWAY WEST DES MOINES, IA50266< /span> EVP & General Counsel Signatures /s/ Shari Wood, authorized signatory 05/06/2024 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )On May 2, 2024, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement), dated as of July 4, 2023, by and among the Issuer, Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company limited by shares (Parent), Arches Merger Sub, Inc., an Iowa corporation and an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub), and Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (BAM), the Issuer merged with and into Merger Sub, with the Issuer surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (the Merger). ( 2 )Includes 8,102 restricted stock units of the Issuer granted following the date of the Merger Agreement (Rollover AEL RSUs). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the Effective Time, any outstanding Rollover AEL RSU automatically ceased to represent an award denominated in AEL Common Stock and was converted into an award of cash-settled restricted stock units denominated in shares of BAM Class A Stock (an Exchanged RSU) and will generally continue to be governed by the same material terms and conditions applicable to the Rollover AEL RSUs immediately prior to the Effective Time, with the number of shares of BAM Class A Stock subject to each Exchanged RSU equal to the product (rounded down to the nearest whole) of (i) the number of shares of AEL Common Stock subject to such Rollover AEL RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by (ii) the quotient of (A) $55 divided by (B) the BAM Class A Stock Price.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

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